The Arab-Israeli Conflict: A History

by David W. Lesch

Whether filtered through the news, the film industry, or the classroom, the Arab-Israeli conflict has become a pervasive--and often misinterpreted--subject on our contemporary cultural landscape. In this compelling text, David W. Lesch, a widely respected scholar and commentator on modern
Middle Eastern politics, presents the most balanced and accessible account of the conflict to date. The Arab-Israeli Conflict puts forth a variety of perspectives--along with concise and informative analyses--to enable and encourage students to form their own educated opinions about complex and
controversial issues.

Challenging yet not overwhelming, this appealingly slim volume focuses on key information, but also incorporates pedagogical features that help to enhance and expand students' understanding of the
* An extensive collection of relevant primary documents
* Sidebars highlighting social and cultural history
* A glossary of terms
* A chronology for quick reference
* Comprehensive illustrations, including 17 maps and 17 photos

Genres: History, Middle East, Nonfiction, Politics

512 pages, Paperback

First published June 27, 2007

Reviews

[Elio Nakouzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

My humble and amateur opinion:

It is a very well written account of the conflict. The author is generally not biased towards any of the parties involved, except, I felt, to the American peace mediators (who at times are made to look like heroic missionaries).

Excellent supporting documents. Well written, long, analytical statements. Clear but with substance. A good read.

A few comments, however:

1) The Der Yassin "incident" is definitely a "massacre"... Please, we are entitled to our opinions, but not to our facts.

2) The term "hudna" (page 408) is an Arabic, not Islamic word.

3) In the account of the 2006 Hizb-Israeli war (page 429), the 159 Isreali casualties are specified as 118 soldiers and 41 civilians. The 1070 Lebanese casualties (overwhelmingly civilians) are not specified for some reason. Also, the sheer disproportionality in material loss and brutality between the conflicting parties is not clarified.

4) Most importantly: the 1996 bombing in Qana (340) was inflicted at a UN compound and NOT a refugee camp. Also, the UN report on the incident is not mentioned at all in this book. While the author claims the "camp" was "mistakenly hit", the official report clearly states that it is highly unlikely the bombing occurred due to strategic or technical error, especially noting the presence of MK drones before and during the attack.

[Bradley Farless · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent summary of the Arab-Israeli / Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It's a good place to start if you're not at all familiar with the topic, but it should be read in conjunction with other books that elaborate on specific time periods, like Segev's "One Palestine, Complete" and Oren's "Six Days of War." Also, unlike those two books, this book is, as the title implies, "A History." It's not readable in the way that Segev and Oren are. It's a huge conflict that spans almost a century, condensed into a short book. So, don't pick it up for light reading, but do pick it up to learn something about the Arab-Israeli Conflict, and do pick it up to understand the modern Middle East, because much of today's Middle Eastern and North African politics revolve around Israel, Palestine, and the land they both want.

[Victoria Crandall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very dense, but a good overview of the conflict.

[Jonathan Flack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent historical survey of the conflict. Objective and insightful.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best comprehensive summary and analysis of the Arab-Israeli conflict since the beginnings of Zionism.